The 2026-27 season has arrived, and with it, Chelsea FC have a schedule that sees them hit the ground running. The Blues are currently in the midst of a three matches in six days stretch. Chelsea were in the latest game of the opening Premier League opening weekend, where they made the very short trip to face Fulham, and emerged victorious 3-2. Next they get Luton Town, in what will be Xabi Alonso’s home debut, in a Carabao Cup second round tie.
Carabao Cup Second Round
Chelsea FC vs Luton Town
Kickoff: Thurs. Aug 27, 7:30pm
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Chelsea Preview Material: Team News Predicted XI
Then comes a Sunday league fixture, at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.
This is the kind of week where it’s great to have a bloated squad, and Chelsea definitely has that. Alonso has a lot of options, and plenty of guys will be looking for playing time. Let’s look at who Alonso might select for the League Cup clash.
Geovany Quenda and Pedro Neto could be in contention for a starting gig, but we left them out here. We did take the four players who were unused substitutes last night, and inserted them into the starting lineup.
And with all that under consideration, we constructed a lineup that would see three Chelsea debutantes: Mike Penders (who was named to a previous matchday squad, but didn’t feature), Marco Palestra and Valentin Barco.
Chelsea Predicted XI vs Luton Town
Mike Penders (GK); Josh Acheampong, Welsey Fofana, Jorell Hato; Marco Palestra, Reece James, Valentin Barco, Pep Chavarria; Estevao Willian, Jamie Gittens; Danny Welbeck
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.